My Vietnam: An Author Talk with Joan Furey RN, MA

BHS welcomes veteran Joan Furey, RN, MA, to The Castle for a special presentation about her experiences in Vietnam and beyond. This November, the Bayside Historical Society honors our veterans by welcoming Joan Furey, RN, MA, to The Castle for a special author presentation. Furey served in Vietnam with the U.S. Army Nurse Corps from January 1969 to January 1970. In her presentation, Furey will share the story behind her decision to join the U.S. Army in 1968 and volunteer for duty in Vietnam. Through personal anecdotes, historical information about women who served in Vietnam, and a brief slideshow, she will help the audience to understand and appreciate the experiences of military nurses during the Vietnam War. She will also discuss the origins of the book she co-edited with Lynda VanDevanter, Visions of War: Dreams of Peace, The Writings of Women in the Vietnam War, and read selected pieces from the collection. A Q&A and book signing will follow the presentation. Admission Free for veterans; $5.00 for BHS members; $10.00 for non-members. Buy tickets on the BHS website: www.baysidehistorical.org/events-1/my-vietnam-an-author-talk-with-joan-furey-rn-ma About the author: Joan Furey, RN, MA, is a Vietnam War veteran, nurse, and nationally recognized advocate for veterans. After graduating from Pilgrim State Hospital School of Nursing in 1967, she joined the Army Nurse Corps and volunteered for service in Vietnam. From 1969 to 1970, she served as a staff nurse in the Post-Op/ICU at the 71st Evacuation Hospital in Pleiku, earning the Bronze Star for Meritorious Service. Following her military service, she earned a BS in Nursing from Stony Brook University and an MA in Nursing from NYU. Furey spent nearly 30 years with the Department of Veterans Affairs, where she was instrumental in improving services for Vietnam veterans with PTSD and for women veterans. She served on the VA's Special Committee on PTSD, became Associate Director for Education at the National Center for PTSD, and helped establish the first inpatient PTSD treatment program for women war-zone veterans. In 1993, she became the founding Director of the VA's Center for Women Veterans, helping develop policies and programs that expanded healthcare and benefits for women veterans. Among her many honors are the VA Distinguished Career Award, induction into the New York State Veterans Hall of Fame, and the VA Center for Women Veterans Trailblazer Award. She has also shared her experiences in the PBS documentary VIETNAM and the Apple TV+ documentary Vietnam: The War That Changed America.